Safety First

The recent drowning incidents in Sitio Nagtabon in Puerto Princesa and Kayangan Lake in Coron are starting to create an unappealing dent on the tourism industry of Palawan. A full report on the exact flow of events that led to the fatal drowning incidents remains unavailable, but news on these tragedies has reached the public and may potentially mar the province’s reputation on tourist safety.

We can call these incidents as “isolated cases” but the tourism industry will be kidding itself if it denies the potential negative impacts of such events.

The foreign nationals’ deaths throw into the spotlight, once again, the extreme importance of tourist safety in places like Palawan that count on tourism as among its major sources of bread and butter. Again, giving an extra premium on the security of tourists cannot be emphasized enough.

It is hence saddening to know that there are still resorts in the province that operate without the necessary permits, trained staff, and equipment necessary in responding to life-threatening situations like the said drowning incidents.

Maybe it is high time for government agencies, particularly the Department of Tourism, to proactively act on the remaining safety issues in the province before the local tourism industry start losing patrons.

Tragic incidents like these must stop, whether big or small, because they will produce a ripple effect that might greatly affect one of the major sources of livelihood in the province.